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Pollach, Edith (audio interview #4 of 4)
INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - This is the final interview with Edith Pollach. It was conducted by a friend of Pollach's. The audio quality of the interview is good. 2/16/1999
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- 2020-10-21
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- *** File: cbepollach7.mp3 Audio Segments and Topics: (0:00-1:04)... Interview begins with Pollach continuing a discussion on the struggle by AFSME to keep mental health clinics open. For a 5 weeks, unions organized demonstrations of 300 people at the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors meetings each week to protest their postponing making a decision on the status of mental health facilities in the county. (1:04-3:24)... From 1980 to 1995, she was a representative from both Local 2620 and Local 2712 of AFSME to the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. (3:24-10:26)... In the early 1980s, she was involved in an effort to establish a Commission on the Status of Women in Long Beach. The major proponent in this effort was Long Beach City Council representative Renee Simon and opposition to it was led by council representative Eunice Sato. Sato and her conservative followers argued that such a commission was not needed in Long Beach. Sato and her followers won the fight and no commission was formed. (10:26-12:48)... She was a member of the Long Beach Housing Action Association. This group agitated for rent control and the development of affordable housing in the Long Beach area. The members of the Association organized people who lived in apartments to protest rent increases. Their struggle to establish rent control in Long Beach did not succeed. (12:48-16:43)... Although she retired in 1991, she remained president of AFSME until 1992. At that point, she decided to participate more actively in local community activities. In 1993, she was active in Health Access and the Long Beach Healthcare Coalition, which was formed to organize for Proposition 186, a single-payer health plan. The proposition, however, was defeated as a result of a propaganda campaign funded by private insurance companies. (16:43-20:53)... Between 1993 and 1998, she was president of AFSME Retiree Chapter 36. The chapter's activities focused on strengthening pensions and health benefits for retirees, as well as other legislative and political activities. Pollach believes that retirees are vulnerable and, therefore, more attentive to issues that have a direct impact on their lives. (20:53-22:46)... From 1993 to 1995, she was a member of the Los Angeles chapter of CLUW. The purpose of this group was to encourage women to become leaders of union locals. The leadership of CLUW during this period, however, stifled the group's awareness and participation in other matters that affected women and labor. (22:46-32:14)... In 1993, she joined the Los Angeles Coalition to End Hunger and Homelessness. She served the vice chair of the organization until 1998 and, at the time of the interview, was a member of the board. This group develops programs for the homeless, near homeless, welfare recipients, and people on general relief. In 1994, she joined the Long Beach Area Coalition for the Homeless, which is composed of homeless persons, homeless service providers, and private non-profit agencies. She writes articles for both the Los Angeles and Long Beach coalition newsletters, as well as articles for the COC newsletter. These two coalitions provide outreach and education programs and lobby the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to reform welfare policies. Pollach believes her background in social work equips her for this type of work, and helps to fulfill her goal of affecting change in people's lives. (32:14-45:19)... In 1994, she became a member of the Advisory Committee of Holland House, which was, at the time of the interview, a sober living residence in Long Beach for women with substance abuse problems. Holland House is funded by the residents who pay to live there and most of them are on general relief. Holland House and Hoffman House are 2 halfway houses that are part of an organization called Harbor Area Halfway Houses, and at the time of the interview, she was a member of the board of directors of that organization. Hoffman House is a temporary residence for women serving the last 3 months of their prison sentences. (45:19-46:28)... Since 1995, she has been active in the Bertha Reynolds Society, a national organization of progressive social workers. Bertha Reynolds played an active role in the social work profession in the 1940s. End of tape *** File: cbepollach8.mp3 (0:00-5:04)... Interview begins with a discussion regarding the Bertha Reynolds Society Reynolds initiated a social service program for the National Maritime Union; it provides social services to sailors, their families and others. Unlike other social service programs, which were funded by non-profit organizations or private contributions, Reynold's program was funded by union dues. Reynolds also was a professor of social work and published several books. (5:04-5:53)... In 1995, she joined the Labor Party and was active in the Los Angeles chapter for a number of years until she left the group because of an illness. (5:53-7:15)... From April to November of 1995, she was active in the People's Coalition for Affirmative Action, a grassroots group in Long Beach that opposed Proposition 209. The Initiative ultimately won in a statewide vote, it was voted down in many part of Long Beach where the Coalition was active. (7:15-8:14)... Over the years she has been involved with Progressive LA, a coalition that lobbies for progressive legislation. (8:14-10:47)... At the time of the interview, she said she hopes to remain active in community organizations. She believes that even when organizations are not successful in achieving their goals, members of these groups develop a social consciousness and are inspired to participate in other struggles. End of tape
- SUBJECT BIO - Edith Pollach was active in many progressive groups in Long Beach. She was trained as a Social Worker and was interested in helping people make their lives better. Her local activism followed many years of political acidity in the eastern United States and in Los Angeles. This interview was conducted by a friend of Pollach's who believed it was important to record her story. Pollach's activities began in the Depression when she was a student and continued through he support of the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War. During World War II, she tried to enlist in the military, but was turned down for health reasons. After the war, she supported the Presidential campaign of Henry Wallace in 1948. And she continued fighting for similar causes in Long Beach. TOPICS - AFSME, Locals 2620 and 2712 and Retiree Chapter 36; union activities; social action; proposed Commission on the Status of Women in Long Beach; Long Beach Housing Action Association; retirement; Long Beach Health CaBertha Reynolds Society; Labor Party; Long Beach People's Coalition for Affirmative Action and Proposition 209; and Progressive LA;
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